


Arthur in Wasteland

by Fire_Bear



Series: FrUK Spring Festival 2017 [7]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: (maybe?) - Freeform, Alice in Wonderland, Battle, Day 5, Dystopia, First Meetings, FrUKSpringFestival2k17, M/M, Minor Character Death, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 18:05:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10904607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Bear/pseuds/Fire_Bear
Summary: Arthur finds himself in Wonderland - but it's not the one he's expecting from his books. Only the Cheshire Cat can help guide him through the dangers that are now there...





	Arthur in Wasteland

**Author's Note:**

> I managed to sort of put two in one today! :)
> 
> NB: Arthur is 16 here.

Wonderland was not as he had expected it.

He had read the story, watched the films, seen the other takes on it... But it had never been like this. The Pool of Tears (or so the crooked sign claimed) was gone. Only dirt and dust remained, though he could see a downed flying machine on its side and an upturned boat. Nothing moved and there were no sounds or people talking.

It was as if he had fallen into Hell rather than Wonderland.

But Arthur knew this was Wonderland. After all, he had followed a White Rabbit into a rabbit's burrow. Strangely, it had been a robot which he had thought was a toy gone haywire. He'd followed it without thinking, hoping to catch it before some poor child lost it forever, and now he was stuck.

When he'd fallen down to the first room, he'd known something was wrong. He couldn't see a thing when he fell and banged into several chairs and other lost things as he got lower. Landing had been painful and he'd almost extinguished the single candle which provided light in the room with all the doors. There, he'd realised what had happened and grabbed the key before he'd reached for the bottle which said DRINK ME. Opening the door, however, had taken Arthur to the Pool of Tears rather than the Queen's garden party and he was now lost as to what to do.

Was there a party? Was there a Queen of Hearts? Had something happened to Wonderland? And where was everyone?

Looking around, Arthur noted that there was a desert behind him, with rolling dunes. He put his hand out and soon discovered that the desert was, in fact, a realistically painted wall. The door had disappeared, of course, but it meant that there was nowhere to go save the Pool. Squinting against a bright sun, Arthur spotted something green in the distance. Assuming that there was some vegetation and, thus, a way out, Arthur stepped off the dock he stood upon and began to make his way across.

When he reached the flying machine, he bent to take a look at it, lifting one of its cloth wings and hoping for something to drink as he'd grown rather thirsty. Instead, he jerked back with a cry when a skeleton stared back at him. It took him a moment to calm down before he looked under the wing once more and grimaced at the image. "I think that's the Dodo," he murmured to himself, quite appalled that one of his favourite children's tales was shaping up to be far less welcoming than he had ever imagined.

"Indeed it is," said a voice and Arthur leapt away from the machine once more. Spinning around, he found that there was a man standing behind him. He had shoulder-length blond hair which he had pulled back into a ponytail. The suit he wore was obviously tailored and fit his curves quite smoothly, the deep purple and blue stripes drawing out the azure of his eyes. Speaking of which, his pupils were actually more like slits, intent on Arthur as he stared back. On his head were a pair of cat's ears which blended with his hair as did the tail which curled around his hip, though the tip of it was the same purple as the suit.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked, heart still racing from the fright.

"Good afternoon," the man said, placing a hand over his heart and bowing deeply. "I am the Cheshire Cat. Though, that is just a Title. You may call me Francis."

"You're... human," said Arthur slowly, looking him up and down. "Mostly."

Francis grinned. It was a little unsettling; he looked so much like a cat in that moment and yet, at the same time, it looked as though he had gotten the upper hand in some sort of game. "Indeed," he said. "Wonderland tends to reflect Upland, you know."

"Does it?"

"Yes. Though, perhaps, that is not true any more."

"Why not?" asked Arthur, curiously.

"The war," Francis answered him, sweeping a hand across the Pool. "It's... affected Wonderland more than either Queen realises. It will die if nothing is done."

"Wait, both Queens?" Arthur frowned at Francis and folded his arms over his chest. "You mean to say this is more like the world from Through the Looking Glass?"

"No. And yes."

"That makes no sense."

"Perfect nonsense," Francis agreed with another large grin.

"So the Red Queen-?"

"The Queen of Hearts," Francis corrected him.

"Right. The Queen of Hearts and..."

"The White Queen."

"...are at war?" Arthur asked, relieved to finally get his question out.

"Indeed," said Francis. "The Queen of Hearts is without a King while the White Queen has locked the White King away to avoid him disappearing. Meanwhile, the Duchess is trying to remain neutral but the war is spreading into the Duchess's lands..."

Arthur pondered on what that would mean. He imagined all the Cards fighting against the Jabberwocky or something similar and grimaced. It seemed like an awful state of affairs and one he had no desire to be a part of, particularly if the Queen of Hearts decided to take off his head. "Then how do I leave Wonderland?"

"You don't," was Francis's simple answer. "You are the new 'Alice' – another Title, by the way. _You_ are the one which will drive the story forward. Or, at least, that is what you're supposed to do. However..." Francis glanced in the direction Arthur had been travelling and shook his head. "Every 'Alice' since the war started is trapped here, pressed into service to either Queen. They fight each other quite terribly and each new Alice provides new technology from Upland. Some, though, manage to escape the service and have become freedom fighters, wanting to create something called 'democracy'."

"Are you saying that I'm going to have to fight?" Arthur asked, glancing at the flying machine. "Do... Do the Alices die?"

"Yes."

Gripping his arms tightly, Arthur looked over his shoulder, searching for a way to escape. "And there's... no way to... well, avoid them?"

"Not if you're left to your own devices."

That made Arthur pause and he blinked up at the man before him. "But... You're the Cheshire Cat... You're supposed to leave me on my own."

Francis's tail twisted behind him as he gave Arthur an aggravated look. "Have you ever been fed hamburgers every day?"

"Wha-? No...?"

"Well, I have. Alfred says there's nothing else to cook because the war's destroying everything. There is milk and cheese but he refuses to cook with them and I  _hate_ those burgers." The fur on Francis's ears and tail ruffled: Arthur had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at him. "I want to eat some  _civilised_ food. So I want to help you."

"How does helping me help you?" Arthur asked, bemused.

"I will help you to stop the war," Francis told him. "Then Alfred can be discharged from the Duchess's service, as per the agreement and I can receive proper meals from the proper Cook."

"Then who is Alfred, if not the Cook?"

"No-one."

"Hm."

They fell silent as Arthur thought over what he should do. If he helped Francis, he could be in danger. Yet, if he sent him away, he'd be in just as much danger, if not more so. Especially since he had no idea where he was going or how to get out of Wonderland. But there was something else he needed to know...

"Will you protect me, then?"

"Of course. As much as I can, being a Cat."

Arthur snorted. "Sure. Well, fine. I'll help you out. Just make sure I don't die."

"Your wish is my command," said Francis wryly, bowing once again.

* * *

He wasn't sure how long it took them to get to the main battlefield. It felt like months, the days bleeding together as Francis kept himself between Arthur and any perceived dangers. All of the main players from the original story seemed dangerous to Arthur, all of them wary and armed when they appeared. Oddly, all the animals now looked human with the exception of ears and tails. Francis would usually turn them away with words, twisting them as he returned them to their owners. 

The Cat also managed to find food and water for Arthur. He wasn't sure where Francis got them from as he hardly disappeared from Arthur's side and there wasn't much around. But he always faded from Arthur's perceptions and quickly reappeared behind him with whatever Arthur had been craving. Fish and chips, bangers and mash, curry, bacon butty, dainty sandwiches with cups of tea, delicate fairy cakes... Arthur eagerly ate them all and was relieved when he neither shrunk nor grew.

As they walked, they talked. Sometimes it was about what had happened in Wonderland since the first Alice had appeared; Arthur learnt that the Titled characters changed every few years, newcomers who weren't named as Alice usually taking on the jobs. At others, Francis asked about Arthur's life and Arthur found that, unlike others who stumbled into Wonderland and seemed to forget themselves, Arthur could clearly remember everything about himself. He obligingly told Francis about his successful recovery but that he was still stuck at home and the Cat paid close attention. More often, though, they kept up a witty back and forth, their words often turned back on themselves in such a way that kept Arthur amused.

When they finally reached the battlefield, it was sudden. One moment, they were in the middle of the desert that the Pool had become, odd bits of vegetation hiding one person or another, and the next they seemed to be at the side of a massive table of some sort. It was too high for either of them to see but Arthur could hear shouting, distant explosions and screams. He shuddered at the sound of it and unconsciously drew closer to Francis. Luckily, he managed to stop himself from clutching at the Cat's arm, but only just.

"I've brought you here so you can see what's happening," Francis told him. "The Duchess's house is beyond this. Follow me." He started off again, Arthur hurrying to keep up.

"I don't think I want to see..." Arthur said, chewing on his lip.

"You must," answered Francis.

They started up the steps set into one of the table's legs which spiralled around as it followed the curved block of wood. Arthur was forced to keep his eyes down as Francis's tail trailed behind him. Several times, he stumbled as he tried to correct where he stepped before he stood on it. Thankfully, he steadied himself on the table leg and was able to continue, hurrying to keep Francis close.

Suddenly, the steps disappeared and Arthur found himself tripping over air. Hands caught his arms and steadied him. They didn't leave him until he'd straightened up and given Francis a grateful look. Then an explosion rocked the table and Arthur tensed, his attention stolen by the battlefield set into the sunken table.

Whatever the table had originally been, only stray squares of black and white were visible. The rest of it was taken over by long trenches which stretched across the space. No Man's Land was barely a few inches across but, with the size of everyone, it was more like miles, pitted with craters. People yelled from each of the trenches before machine gunfire drowned them out.

Horrifyingly, there were bodies lying in No Man's Land.

A man with long, black hair had crumpled over a couple of Cards. It seemed like he had wings attached to his back, though one of them had a large hole in it, fire still eating away at the material there. When Arthur squinted at them, he could see the colour that should have been there and realised that they were the wings of a butterfly. What appeared to be a young boy with blond hair and a little cap and large, round ears lay on his back with unseeing eyes, a horrid hole in his chest. Beside him, a small rifle with a bayonet at the end had fallen, his hand still on its butt. On the other side of the table a man cradled someone who looked identical to him from this distance, wailing in despair. With a shock of recognition, Arthur realised the two of them must be Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.

At either end of the battlefield, a tent had been raised on a plinth Arthur hadn't noticed before. On his left was a red one and on his right was white. The flaps were pulled back and, sitting above the entrenched troops on comfortable chairs, were what Arthur assumed to be the Royal Families. Arthur couldn't see their faces so he couldn't make out their expressions but they didn't seem to react when the surviving Tweedle began to drag his fallen brother back towards the White side. His sobs made Arthur flinch, wishing he could leave but finding himself stuck to the spot.

"It's... horrible," he whispered, stepping closer to Francis as if the Cat could protect him from the sight.

"Yes," Francis murmured. "I'll take you to the Duchess's house now. We'll have to go around the Chessboard."

"Right," said Arthur. But, when Francis turned and moved off, Arthur was unable to move, unable to take his eyes off the Tweedle brothers.

And so he saw it happen.

Francis had taken no more than a handful of steps towards the Red side of the board when a whistle sounded. A roar went up from the Red's trenches and, suddenly, an army of people came over the top, brandishing rifles and sub-machine guns and pistols. There were so many different guns that Arthur knew that there had been a constant evolution in the war unfolding before him. But the most shocking thing was the fact that every single one of them were Alices. Each of them wore a dress a lot like the traditional one associated with Alice in Wonderland. All of them had red hearts stitched over their breast. A lot of them had evidently been previously injured, their heads or hands or ankles bandaged as they rose from the depths of the board. Their hair was in varying styles but a lot of them had shorn it off, helmets pulled down over their heads as they rushed towards the other side.

Arthur wouldn't have noticed it if it hadn't been for the Alice who was a good shot. Or she had been aiming elsewhere and had an awful aim. Either way, a bullet hit the moving Tweedle in the middle of his back and, with a shout of pain, he collapsed over his brother. He weakly tried to move off him, tried to drag him along the ground with him. Arthur's eyes widened as the poor man turned to the Royal Box and reached towards them.

Then the Alices overran them and Arthur could no longer see what happened.

The White Queen did nothing.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and shook it. Dazed, Arthur looked around to find Francis gazing at him, seeming worried. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Looking between Francis and the battlefield, Arthur shook his head. "I... This..." He bit his lip to force away tears, tearing his eyes from the scene. Then, determined, he looked up at Francis, fists clenched. "I'm going to help you stop this," he told him, firmly. "I won't rest until I do. I swear that to you."

His words made Francis light up, his tail swinging behind him. The Cheshire grin he usually wore was replaced by a smile of such fondness and relief that Arthur's heart skipped a beat. "Thank you, my Champion Alice." Francis held out his hand, keeping himself towards the battlefield. "Come with me."

"Yes," said Arthur and took his hand, certain that his life was about to get a lot more dangerous whether he wanted it to or not.

**Author's Note:**

> By the way, those particular bodies I described are Hetalia characters so guess who!
> 
> And the Queen of Hearts is Lili, the Jack is Vash and the White Queen is Natalya. For reasons.


End file.
